


The Black Boys

by LoomiDoomi (PetitPink)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: And Marlene feeling like she's looking after five boys instead of four, Because let's face it: Papa Black is still just a boy at heart, Dad!Sirius, Domestic Fluff, F/F, F/M, Fluff, I just really want to see Sirius being a proud Punk Rock Dad, M/M, Marauders, blackinnon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2018-12-07
Packaged: 2019-09-12 23:27:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16881288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PetitPink/pseuds/LoomiDoomi
Summary: "The Black Boys?" Lily scoffed, shortly before swatting away a scrunched up kleenex thrown at her face by an indignant Sirius, "Sounds like some subpar 90s boyband or something. No offense."Or in which Marlene and Sirius become parents along with the other Marauders.





	The Black Boys

  


* * *

  


"No, we aren't naming him Wilberforce."

"Bathsheba, then?"

"No, Sirius. We aren't going to be calling him Bathsheba either."

"Palamedes?"

"Definitely not!"

"Fine, then how about Bartholomew?"

"Sirius, darling, no. Just—, no."

"Well then, love, what did you have in mind?"

"I don't know, Vincent, maybe?"

"Vincent? Like the chap that cut his ear off?"

"No—well technically, yes, though that's not how I'd describe him—but no. I'm not sure, but I quite like the sound of Vincent. Vincent Black?"

"It could work. But…."

"But?"

"…I think I still prefer Bathsheba."

Marlene heaved a sigh as she got up to her feet. It was already the third time they'd been having this discussion, and frankly, she was starting to see that Sirius wasn't one to be reasoned with. She had known all along that her husband had a flair for the flamboyant and was notoriously stubborn too, but she still hadn't expected him to be so invested in finding a unique name for their son. Or at least, he called them unique. She called them ridiculous. Looking back on it, Marlene couldn't help but wonder how she hadn't noticed the red-flag signs sooner: the man had named his motorbike Elvendork, for goodness sake!

The first time she'd brought up the subject, he was practically rambling, listing off so many names Marlene couldn't even keep track. With each name suggested more extravagant than the last, it wasn't until he'd looked up at the sound of her laughter with an inquiring expression that she realized he was in fact, deadly serious. How he even came up with such names was still a mystery to her. She was fine with a nice simple name like Dean or Ben, but alas, Sirius made it clear that he wasn't about to settle for some generic Tom, Dick, or Harry. And while Marlene wasn't against the idea of a unique name, she wasn't about to name their child Bathsheba either.

It definitely wasn't helping that James and Peter were all for the idea of Sirius's son being called Bathsheba Bartholomew Black.

  


* * *

  


"It's beautiful. And efficient, too. Alliterative and poetic all at once, eh?" James insisted, reaching for another canapé.

Peter nodded earnestly in agreement, although a shadow of a smile threatened to play upon his lips. It was obvious that he was trying hard to keep a straight face. Remus, on the other hand, refused to side with them as he leaned back on his chair, arms crossed and an amused expression etched upon his face.

"Yes, it really does roll right off the tongue." Lily said dryly, rolling her eyes. "Marls, you can't possibly be considering _that_ —" she waved her hand in the general direction of where her husband was sitting "—as a potential name for the baby."

Marlene smiled weakly before shaking her head firmly enough to assure her that no, she most certainly won't.

"Good, because I could never say Bathsheba Bartholomew Black with a straight face." Nymphadora chimed in. "What kind of auntie would that make me, then?"

"You have a point there, Dora." James chuckled. "I still can't believe we're not the only parents here anymore, though. Congratulations, you two."

"Mate, I would've thanked you if you hadn't congratulated us about half a million times already."

"Well, in that case, welcome to the horrendous world of parenthood! May you both survive the horrors of never-ending hair-grabbing and guttural cries of hunger at two in the morning."

"James!" Lily elbowed her husband in a slight shove, shaking her head as he shrugged.

"What, it's true! Remus, tell him it's true. Go on." he retorted defiantly after letting out a small oomph, batting her arm away—but he was already cracking a grin.

"You know, it never fails to amaze me," Remus sighed, regarding their playful banter after some of the laughter died down. "How you two don't seem to change at all."

"Well, in our defense, time really does fly by. Surely I can't be the only one who feels like it's only been a couple of weeks since we had this kind of talk except with you two instead of them?" James protested, waving his hand at Sirius and Marlene. "But Teddy's already, what, two years old now?"

"Three, actually." Nymphadora corrected, the corners of her mouth twitching into a proud smile.

"There, point proven. And besides, it's not like any of you have changed much, either."

Marlene couldn't help but agree. It wasn't just Lily and James, it was all of them. James with his constant fiddling of fingers and cheeky grin, Sirius with his slightly cocky attitude and dramatic gestures. Lily was definitely still the Lily they all knew and loved with the playful twinkle in her eyes, and Nymphadora's infectious laughter was hard to miss. Peter's awkward jokes that had become endearing over the years were still there, and Remus's knowing looks and sarcastic remarks seemed to somehow have become even more prominent since their graduation. And as for Marlene herself…. Well, she hadn't changed much either, had she? Now that they were all sitting around with drinks in hand, joking around for hours, it reminded her of the good old days.

She felt a twinge of wistful nostalgia as she pictured the days of their youth. Young, carefree, fresh out of Hogwarts and so blissfully unaware of everything they'd face to lead up to this day. She could still remember how thrilled she had been on her graduation day. She had been daring, unafraid, certain that she would be able to overcome any obstacle in her way. Ready for a whole new adventure waiting just around the corner, curiosity shrouding any sort of doubt that she carried alongside her as she took purposeful strides with her head held high.

And it struck her how scared she was now, how nervous she was facing yet another new chapter of her life. Unsure, doubtful, tiptoeing along so as to gauge the depths of what lay underneath. The unknown that had once been a great mystery was reduced to an uncertainty that left her frightened. She was delighted, of course she was, and yet she was also on the verge of being terrified. Because she was no longer a child. Because she was no longer as courageous, because this commitment wasn't something solely for her to shoulder on her own, and neither were the consequences. Because, because, because. She could still hear the faint sound of her friends talking buzzing in her ears, but she couldn't concentrate. Her stomach seemed to plummet downwards, the small bump growing heavier by the minute.

And that's when she felt a hand clasp over hers, warm and calloused, in a firm grip that broke her chain of thoughts. When she glanced up, she was met with a reassuring smile. One that tactfully hid his look of concern, which she appreciated greatly. Marlene couldn't help but smile back. She definitely had to give Sirius more credit. Contrary to what others may assume based on his tendency to be rather loud and at times obnoxious, her husband was surprisingly observant. Perhaps it was because of his upbringing, or maybe it was because he was just that considerate, but he had always been quick to notice subtle changes in her demeanor or expression. It was one of the many things she loved about him.

Even as he looked away, he kept his hand wrapped around hers. Running his thumb along the grooves of her knuckles, he chuckled at some comment Peter made, and Marlene felt as though she was falling in love all over again. So what if she was facing unknown grounds. She had Sirius by her side, with each step she took. It was new ground for them both, but they had each other and that was all that mattered. Knowing that made her heart swell up with certainty and reassurance, a sense of security. She squeezed his hand back gratefully and the evening went by in a flurry of laughter.

Glasses were emptied one by one as the night gradually drew to an end. It was getting late, and Remus was the first to suggest they call it a day. Marlene sat watching as her friends bustled around the dining hall gathering their cloaks. When they were all ready, she and Sirius walked their guests to the door, nodding at the 'Thank you for the lovely dinner's and 'We have to do this again sometime soon's.

"Well, I s'pose we'll be off then," James said, adjusting his cloak.

"Thanks again for a lovely night, the both of you," Lily said before crouching down and cooing, her face just inches from Marlene's stomach. "Hey there, little boy. Try not to give mummy a hard time, can you do that?"

Marlene let out a soft laugh, remembering how she'd done the exact same thing when Lily had been pregnant with Harry. In fact, she had a feeling that those were the exact words she'd said to baby Harry when she first heard of the good news.

Peter caught her eye with a shy, questioning look as Lily stepped aside, one hand slightly outstretched. Marlene nodded, the corner of her lips tugging up into a smile.

"G'night, Padfoot Junior." Peter murmured as he tentatively stroked the small bump, the very tip of his ears turning red.

"See you soon, Baby Black!" Nymphadora added, waving her hand from where she stood. Remus followed suit, echoing her words softly and waving his own hand.

"Bye, Bathsheba," James offered, before turning to Sirius. "D'you reckon we should call him BBB? Short for Bathsheba Bartholomew Black?"

"I like the way you think, though we ought to throw another B in there for Baby."

"And another extra B for Best. Best Baby Bathsheba Barthello—Barthollo—"

"James, even _you_ can't pronounce it properly. It's ridiculous and you know it." Marlene protested half-heartedly, though her expression betrayed how clearly amused she was.

"Nonsense, Marlene, it's a perfectly respectful name." James insisted without missing a beat. "Besides, you could always shorten it into Bathy Barty if you'd like. Whichever you fancy."

" _Bathy Barty?_ " she asked in disbelief, biting back a chortle. "Unbelievable."

"Bye Bathy!" James made a show of waving dramatically at Marlene before turning to the others and walking out onto the street.

Marlene and Sirius stood at their doorstep watching their friends grow smaller and smaller as they keep walking on. Letting out a contented sigh, Marlene leaned against Sirius. He pulled her close, one arm snaking around her waist. She let her head rest on his shoulders and he pressed a chaste kiss onto her cheek before saying that they should probably go back in, the night air is quite chilly.

Back in the house, the two sat curled up together on the couch by the fireplace, with Sirius absentmindedly stroking the bump of Marlene's stomach.

"Love, can I ask you something?"

"Darling, if you're still trying to convince me about Bathsheba—"

"That wasn't what I was trying to ask, but since you mentioned it, I'll have you know that I'm not giving up on that just yet either."

"Oh, Merlin." Marlene groaned, pressing her palm to her face.

"Why don't we put a pin in it for the time being then?"

"Fine. Then what was it you were trying to ask me?"

"Well…. You see, I was just wondering if," Sirius paused, fiddling with his fingers. "I was wondering if it's too early to start shopping for a crib."

Marlene considered this briefly before slowly shaking her head.

"No, I don't suppose it is. Should we start on preparing the nursery tomorrow?"

"Oh, yes, let's!" Sirius's face broke into a grin. "See, I had some ideas……."

Marlene pulled herself closer into her husband's embrace, snuggling up comfortably as he went on to animatedly describe his ideas for their little boy's nursery. New ground or not, she was ready to face whatever the future held in store. _They_ were ready. Of course they were still nervous, but they were also excited to see what comes next. And she wouldn't have it any other way.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> A/N : I do know that Tonks is canonically at least a good ten years younger than the Marauders, but I had to tweak the details for the sake of the fic.


End file.
